Wecht / Rago Forensic Science and Law

Investigative Applications in Criminal, Civil and Family Justice
1. Auflage 2005
ISBN: 978-1-4200-5811-6
Verlag: Taylor & Francis
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 728 Seiten

Forensic science has undergone dramatic progress in recent years, including in the areas of DNA collection and analysis and the reconstruction of crime scenes. However, too few professionals are equipped with the knowledge necessary to fully apply the potential of science in civil, criminal, and family legal matters. Featuring contributions from renowned experts in the forensic, scientific, and legal professions, Forensic Science and Law: Investigative Applications in Criminal, Civil, and Family Justice communicates the wide range of methods and approaches used for achieving justice in these circumstances. A solid grounding in the underlying principles of our legal system provides a context for understanding how these methods are applied. The book brings together the words and thoughts of diverse professionals whose common goal is to uncover the truth. About the editors… Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D., is actively involved as a medical-legal and forensic science consultant, author, and lecturer. Currently coroner of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania, he is certified by the American Board of Pathology in anatomic, clinical, and forensic pathology and is a Fellow of the College of American Pathologists and the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. Dr. Wecht is a Clinical Professor at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Graduate School of Public Health, an Adjunct Professor at Duquesne University Schools of Law, Pharmacy and Health Services, and a Distinguished Professor at Carlow University. He is a past president of both the American College of Legal Medicine and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Dr. Wecht is the author of more than 500 professional publications and has appeared as a guest on numerous national television and radio talk shows. John T. Rago, J.D., is Assistant Professor of Law at Duquesne University School of Law and the Director of both The Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law and the Law School’s Post-conviction DNA Project. He teaches criminal law and procedure to law students and graduate courses on wrongful convictions, foundations in American law and constitutional criminal procedure to students in the university’s Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences. Professor Rago also serves as an appointed member to the Innocence Project’s Policy Group of the Cardozo School of Law in New York. He is admitted to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Zielgruppe

Instructors and students in forensic science, criminal justice and other undergraduate and graduate programs of study in the natural, social and applied sciences, particularly those involved in cross- disciplinary study; law enforcement officers; secondary school teachers; general libraries; policy makers

Autoren/Hrsg.

Wecht, Cyril H.

Rago, John T.

Wecht, Benjamin

Fachgebiete

• Rechtswissenschaften Strafrecht Rechtsmedizin, Forensik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

PART I: OVERVIEW

Ancient Tradition — The Relationship of Science and Law,

Robert D. Taylor

Logic in Forensic Science, The Honorable Ruggero J. Aldisert

Forensic Science and Law — Revealing Truth and Freedom in a Single Light, John T. Rago

PART II: FOUNDATIONS OF LAW

Criminal Law and Procedure, Bruce A. Antkowiak

Forensic Science and the Family, Vanessa S. Browne-Barbour and Margaret K. Krasik

The Civil Justice System, Nicholas P. Cafardi

Discovery in Civil Cases, S. Michael Streib

Contract Law — Forensic Agreements, John E. Murray, Jr.

Fundamental Principles of Tort Law, Kellen McClendon

Product Liability, Patrick Lavelle

Forensic Medicine and Medical Negligence —Initial Case Investigation Applications, Suzanne Edgett Collins

Construction Law, Richard F. Paciaroni and Kevin J. Stubblebine

PART III: BRIDGING THE FOUNDATIONS

Experts and the Admissibility of Evidence Concerning Scientific, Technical, and Other Specialized Areas of Knowledge, Raymond F. Sekula and Sarah Eckel Hinton

PART IV: FOUNDATIONS OF FORENSIC SCIENCE

Section A: Evidence and the Physical Sciences

A Critical Analysis of Selected Features of Fingerprinting, James E. Starrs

Trace Evidence Examination, Pamela Woods

Firearm and Toolmark Identification, Deborah L. Chaklos and Michelle N. Kuehner

The Investigation of Fire and Explosions, Robert M. Huston

Questioned Document Examination, Thomas Vastrick

Section B: Evidence and the Biological Sciences

Forensic Pathology, Cyril H. Wecht and Victor W. Weedn

Forensic Toxicology, Frederick W. Fochtman

Serology, Thomas C. Meyers

DNA Analysis, Victor W. Weedn

The Science of Forensic Entomology, Neal H. Haskell

Forensic Odontology, Michael N. Sobel

Forensic Anthropology, Kathleen J. Reichs

Section C: Evidence and the Social and Applied Sciences

An Overview, Jagdeep S. Bhandari

Behavioral Science and the Law, Michael Welner and Katherine Ramsland

Digital Forensics, Mark M. Pollitt

Forensic Linguistics, Authorship Attribution, and Admissibility, Carole E. Chaski

Forensic Accounting, Kenneth C. McCrory

Forensic Economics in Instances of Wrongful Death and Injury, Matthew R. Marlin

Forensic Engineering and Science, Steven C. Batterman and Scott D. Batterman

PART V: TOPICS IN THE PRACTICE OF FORENSIC SCIENCE

Crime Scene Management, Henry C. Lee and Timothy Palmbach

The Roles of Public Attorneys in the Practice of Forensic Science, Laura A. Ditka and Michael J. Machen

Forensic and Legal Nursing, L. Kathleen Sekula and Ann Wolbert Burgess

Forensic Science and Public Health — The Role of Enabling Statutes, Reporting Obligations, and Privacy Laws, Jack W. Snyder

Forensic Science and Public Health — The Role of Forensic Epidemiology, Steven A. Koehler

Lawyers, Ethics, and the Forensic Professional, Mark D. Yochum